2018Mike Willdridge studied Graphic Design at Ravensbourne College of Art then worked as a designer, in the printing industry, as a soldier in the army and an art teacher. He took early retirement in 2006 after a teaching career in which he ran the art departments of two independent schools in England. From 2001 he has taught adults, mostly from his studio in Devon. In 2014 he stopped teaching on a regular day-to-day basis, moved to Dorset and now concentrates on his own work. He does, however, do a small amount of tutoring on painting holidays as well as as demonstrations for local art groups.

Up until recently, his own work had been exclusively two dimensional (painting and printmaking) and taken from real life through sketchbook observations and photography. He works in a loose and free painting style and usually develops his work in the studio. For some time Mike has been interested in abstraction and recently committed himself to the challenge of moving towards abstraction.